Foods

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23 pages, 3673 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Integrated Chemical and Biological Evaluation of Linden Honeydew Honey from Bosnia and Herzegovina: Composition and Cellular Effects

by Ana Barbarić, Lara Saftić Martinović, Zvonimir Marijanović, Lea Juretić, Andreja Jurič, Danijela Petrović, Violeta Šoljić and Ivana Gobin

Foods 2025, 14(10), 1668; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14101668 - 8 May 2025

Viewed by 331

Abstract

Honeydew honey (HH) is a distinctive type of honey known for its dark colour, high mineral and polyphenol content, and pronounced biological activity. This study continues previous research on beech and chestnut honeydew honeys by presenting a comprehensive analysis of linden honeydew honey [...] Read more.

Honeydew honey (HH) is a distinctive type of honey known for its dark colour, high mineral and polyphenol content, and pronounced biological activity. This study continues previous research on beech and chestnut honeydew honeys by presenting a comprehensive analysis of linden honeydew honey (LHH) from Bosnia and Herzegovina—a variety that, until now, has not been characterised in detail. Physicochemical parameters confirmed its classification as HH, with high electrical conductivity (1.21 mS/cm) and low moisture (15.1%). GC-MS analysis revealed a unique volatile profile dominated by α-terpinolene (17.4%), distinguishing LHH from other HH types. The sample exhibited high total phenolic content (816.38 mg GAE/kg) and moderate antioxidant capacity (1.11 mmol TE/kg). Antimicrobial testing demonstrated strong activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), with lower efficacy against Gram-negative bacteria. No cytotoxic effects were observed in HaCaT keratinocytes at concentrations up to 60 mg/mL, and wound healing assays showed improved scratch closure reaching approximately 30% after 24 h and 41% after 48 h compared to the control. These results indicate that LHH possesses promising bioactive properties and potential for dermatological application. Further studies with broader sample sets are needed to explore variability and confirm the therapeutic relevance of LHH in comparison to other honeydew types. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Honey and Bee Products: Characterization, Bioactivities and Authenticity)

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13 pages, 2458 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Authentication of Indian Honey Based on Carbon Stable Isotope Ratio Analysis—Verification of Indian Regulatory Criteria

by Ajit Dua, Sanjivan Bahman, Simon Kelly, Shainandni Dogra and Kirti Sharma

Foods 2025, 14(8), 1289; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14081289 - 8 Apr 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 514

Abstract

The present study was undertaken for the first time in India to generate a database of isotopic signatures of authentic Indian honey to verify the regulatory criteria laid down by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). In this study, ninety-eight [...] Read more.

The present study was undertaken for the first time in India to generate a database of isotopic signatures of authentic Indian honey to verify the regulatory criteria laid down by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). In this study, ninety-eight (98) authentic honey samples from nineteen (19) different botanical sources were collected from five (05) geographical regions of India and analyzed to generate a database of stable carbon isotope ratios (¹³C/¹²C) by Elemental Analyzer/Liquid Chromatography–Isotopic Ratio Mass Spectrometry (EA/LC-IRMS). The samples were analyzed for the parameters δ¹³C_Honey(δ¹³C_H), δ¹³C_Protein(δ¹³C_P), δ¹³C individual sugars, ∆δ¹³C_{Protein-Honey}(δ¹³C_P-H), C4 sugar, ∆δ¹³C_{Fructose-Glucose}(δ¹³C_Fru-Glu), ∆δ¹³C_max, and foreign oligosaccharides (FOs), as per the official methods of analysis of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC 998.12) and the FSSAI. The results were evaluated against the published literature and Indian regulatory criteria for authentic honey. The δ¹³C value for honey (δ¹³C_H) ranged from −22.07 to −29.02‰. It was found that 94% of Indian honey samples met the criteria for Δδ¹³C_P-H (≥−1.0‰), Δδ¹³C_Fru-Glu (±1.0‰), and C4 sugar content (7% maximum), with negative C4 sugar values treated as 0% as prescribed by the AOAC method. Further, 86% of samples met the FO criteria (maximum 0.7% peak area). Thus, the data of this study provide scientific backing for these four (04) parameters as per the FSSAI regulation. However, the non-compliance of a high number (47%) of authentic honey samples for Δδ¹³C_max (±2.1‰) compels further systematic investigation with a special focus on bee feeding practices. Further, in the present study, it was found that honey samples with a Δδ¹³C_P-H greater than +1‰ and a C4 sugar content more negative than −7% also did not comply with the Δδ¹³C_max criteria. Hence, Δδ¹³C_P-H values (>+1‰ equivalent to C4 sugar < −7%) could be an indicator of C3 adulteration to some extent. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Honey and Bee Products: Characterization, Bioactivities and Authenticity)

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14 pages, 1330 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Antioxidant-Rich Polyfloral Bee Pollen Exerts Antimicrobial Activity and Anti-Inflammatory Effect in A549 Lung Epithelial Cells by Modulating the NF-κB Pathway

by Andrea Cavallero, Francesca Vidotto, Cristiana Sbrana, Laryssa Peres Fabbri, Giulio Petroni and Morena Gabriele

Foods 2025, 14(5), 802; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14050802 - 26 Feb 2025

Viewed by 1036

Abstract

Bee pollen is produced by honeybees from the agglutination of pollen grains belonging to one or more plant species. Although it is intended to be a nutritional source for the hive, its remarkable concentration of nutrients and phytochemicals, combined with its pleasant organoleptic [...] Read more.

Bee pollen is produced by honeybees from the agglutination of pollen grains belonging to one or more plant species. Although it is intended to be a nutritional source for the hive, its remarkable concentration of nutrients and phytochemicals, combined with its pleasant organoleptic qualities, makes it appealing for human consumption. This study examined the phytochemical content and the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of a polyfloral bee pollen collected in Tuscany (Italy). Additionally, its less studied anti-inflammatory potential towards tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α)-inflamed A549 cells was evaluated to assess its possible use in inflammatory respiratory diseases. Bee pollen extract (BPE) was chemically characterized in terms of total polyphenol (20.2 ± 1.5 mg gallic acid equivalents/g fw), flavonoid (9.22 ± 0.64 mg quercetin equivalents/g fw), and carotenoid (10.4 ± 1.4 µg carotenoids/g fw) contents. BPE exerted good antioxidant and antiradical activities in ferric reducing antioxidant power (38.6 ± 4.5 mg Fe²⁺/g fw), oxygen radical absorbance capacity (433.77 ± 18.95 μmol TE/g fw), and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (EC₅₀ = 613.8 ± 79.2 μg/mL) assays. Additionally, BPE inhibited the growth of Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas stutzeri (MIC = 10 mg/mL) in the microdilution assay. When TNF-α-inflamed A549 cells were pretreated with BPE (10 and 50 µg/mL), the upregulated interleukin-8 gene and cyclooxygenase-2 gene and protein expression were significantly attenuated. BPE modulated the nuclear factor-κB signaling pathway by decreasing its active phosphorylated form levels. These encouraging results confirm that honeybee pollen is a valuable health-promoting food that could alleviate the inflammatory component of various chronic pulmonary conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Honey and Bee Products: Characterization, Bioactivities and Authenticity)

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15 pages, 739 KiB

Open AccessArticle

COI Metabarcoding as a Novel Approach for Assessing the Honey Bee Source of European Honey

by Mónica Honrado, Andreia Quaresma, Dora Henriques, M. Alice Pinto and Joana S. Amaral

Foods 2025, 14(3), 419; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14030419 - 27 Jan 2025

Viewed by 986

Abstract

Honey is a widely consumed food product frequently subjected to adulteration, with the mislabeling of its botanical or geographical origin being one of the most common practices. Determining the entomological origin of honey is particularly challenging but of high relevance for ensuring its [...] Read more.

Honey is a widely consumed food product frequently subjected to adulteration, with the mislabeling of its botanical or geographical origin being one of the most common practices. Determining the entomological origin of honey is particularly challenging but of high relevance for ensuring its authenticity, especially for products with protected designation of origin (PDO) labels. This study presents a novel DNA metabarcoding approach targeting a highly informative 406 bp fragment of the cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) gene to differentiate among the three major mitochondrial lineages (A, M, and C) of honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) native to Europe. The target region was selected based on the calculated fixation index (F_ST), which is frequently used in Population Genetics as a measure of differentiation between populations. The approach was validated with 11 honey samples of known entomological origin and applied to 44 commercial honeys from 13 countries. The approach demonstrated high sensitivity, accurately identifying the entomological origin of honey, including samples produced by honey bees of varying ancestries, which could not be resolved by previous methods based on real-time PCR coupled with high-resolution melting (PCR-HRM) analysis. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of COI metabarcoding in verifying honey authenticity and highlight the predominance of C-lineage honey bees in the production of commercial honeys from northwestern Europe. This finding suggests a limited presence of the native M-lineage ancestry, underscoring the need for conservation efforts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Honey and Bee Products: Characterization, Bioactivities and Authenticity)

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14 pages, 711 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Antioxidant Capacity, Phytochemicals, Minerals, and Chemical Pollutants in Worker Honey Bee (Apis mellifera L.) Broods from Northern Thailand: A Safe and Sustainable Food Source

by Phannika Tongchai, Sumed Yadoung, Kunrunya Sutan, Saweang Kawichai, Khanchai Danmek, Jakkrawut Maitip, Sampat Ghosh, Chuleui Jung, Bajaree Chuttong and Surat Hongsibsong

Foods 2024, 13(13), 1998; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13131998 - 25 Jun 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1831

Abstract

Honey bee brood (HBB) (Apis mellifera L.), a traditional protein source, has been studied for its nutritional value, but bio-functional properties and safety concerns have not been verified. This study examined the Antioxidant capacity, phytochemicals, minerals, and chemical pollutants in worker broods [...] Read more.

Honey bee brood (HBB) (Apis mellifera L.), a traditional protein source, has been studied for its nutritional value, but bio-functional properties and safety concerns have not been verified. This study examined the Antioxidant capacity, phytochemicals, minerals, and chemical pollutants in worker broods from several apiaries in Northern Thailand. HBB samples were lyophilized to evaluate antioxidant capacity using ABTS, DPPH, and FRAP assays, tests with water, and 70% ethanol extracts. Phytochemicals were identified using LC-QTOF-MS; pollutants were analyzed chromatographically, and minerals were determined using ICP-OES. The results showed that the evaluated antioxidant capacity of the ethanol extracts included DPPH 2.04–3.37 mg/mL, ABTS 21.22–33.91 mg/mL, and FRAP 50.07–104.15 mg AAE/100 g dry weight. Water extracts had outstanding antioxidant activities except for ABTS, with DPPH 10.67–84.97 mg/mL, ABTS 9.25–13.54 mg/mL, and FRAP 57.66–177.32 mgAAE/100 g dry weight. Total phenolics and flavonoids in ethanol extracts ranged from 488.95–508.87 GAE/100 g to 4.7–12.98 mg QE/g dry weight, respectively. Thirteen phytochemicals were detected and contained adequate mineral contents in the HBBs from different locations found, which were K, Ca, Mg, and Na, and no heavy metals or pollutants exceeded safe levels. These results imply that HBB from different apiaries in Northern Thailand is a nutritious food source with considerable antioxidants and a safe and sustainable food source. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Honey and Bee Products: Characterization, Bioactivities and Authenticity)

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21 pages, 475 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessing the Impact of Botanical Origins, Harvest Years, and Geographical Variability on the Physicochemical Quality of Serbian Honey

by Aleksandra Tasić, Lato Pezo, Biljana Lončar, Mirjana B. Pešić, Živoslav Tešić and Milica Kalaba

Foods 2024, 13(10), 1530; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13101530 - 14 May 2024

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2156

Abstract

This study summarized the physicochemical analysis of 609 honey samples originating from the Republic of Serbia. Variations among honey samples from different botanical origins, regions of collections, and harvest years were exposed to descriptive statistics and correlation analysis that differentiated honey samples. Furthermore, [...] Read more.

This study summarized the physicochemical analysis of 609 honey samples originating from the Republic of Serbia. Variations among honey samples from different botanical origins, regions of collections, and harvest years were exposed to descriptive statistics and correlation analysis that differentiated honey samples. Furthermore, most of the observed physicochemical parameters (glucose, fructose, sucrose content, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) levels, acidity, and electrical conductivity) varied significantly among different types of honey, years, and regions. At the same time, no noticeable difference was found in diastase activity, moisture content, and insoluble matter. Based on the obtained results, 22 honey samples could be considered adulterated, due to the irregular content of sucrose, 5-HMF, acidity, and diastase activity. In addition, 64 honey samples were suspected to be adulterated. Adulterated and non-compliant samples present a relatively low percentage (14.1%) of the total number of investigated samples. Consequently, a considerable number of honey samples met the required standards for honey quality. Overall, these findings provide insights into compositional and quality differences among various types of honey, aiding in understanding their characteristics and potential applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Honey and Bee Products: Characterization, Bioactivities and Authenticity)

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13 pages, 2228 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Relationships among Hydrogen Peroxide Concentration, Catalase, Glucose Oxidase, and Antimicrobial Activities of Honeys

by Sandra M. Osés, Carlos Rodríguez, Olga Valencia, Miguel A. Fernández-Muiño and M. Teresa Sancho

Foods 2024, 13(9), 1344; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13091344 - 26 Apr 2024

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3782

Abstract

Honey is a natural sweetener made by bees that exhibits antimicrobial activity, mainly related to its H₂O₂ content. The aim of this work was to research the H₂O₂ concentration of 24 Spanish honeys from different botanical origins, [...] Read more.

Honey is a natural sweetener made by bees that exhibits antimicrobial activity, mainly related to its H₂O₂ content. The aim of this work was to research the H₂O₂ concentration of 24 Spanish honeys from different botanical origins, studying their possible correlation with glucose oxidase (GOx), catalase (CAT), and anti-Staphylococcus aureus activities (minimal inhibition concentration (MIC), minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC), and percentage of inhibition at 5% (w/v) honey against Staphylococcus aureus), as well as possible correlations among all the analyzed parameters. The results showed that the H₂O₂ concentration did not depend on the botanical origin of the honeys. There were neither correlations between the H₂O₂ concentration and the activities of GOx and CAT, nor between GOx and antimicrobial activity. However, CAT and antimicrobial activities were positively correlated. Therefore, CAT could be successfully used as a possible marker of the antimicrobial activity of honeys against Staphylococcus aureus. Furthermore, a linear regression model has been fitted to explain the antimicrobial activity from CAT and GOx activity and H₂O₂ concentration. Although H₂O₂ is one of the compounds involved in honey’s antibacterial activity, this capacity also strongly depends on other honey components (such as low water activity, acidity, osmolarity, and phenolic compounds). The very high anti-Staphylococcus aureus activity exhibited by all samples could be interesting for commercial honey-based formulations also helping to promote local beekeeping. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Honey and Bee Products: Characterization, Bioactivities and Authenticity)

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14 pages, 1211 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Stability, Content of Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidant Activity of Emulsions with Propolis Extracts during Simulated In Vitro Digestion

by Lucio González Montiel, Arely León-López, Adelfo García-Ceja, Melitón Jesús Franco-Fernández, Elizabeth Pérez-Soto, Antonio de Jesús Cenobio-Galindo, Rafael G. Campos-Montiel and Gabriel Aguirre-Álvarez

Foods 2024, 13(5), 779; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13050779 - 2 Mar 2024

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2046

Abstract

The objective in this work was the evaluation of the stability and content of bioactive compounds (total phenols and total flavonoids) and antioxidant activity of emulsions of ethanolic extracts of propolis obtained by ultrasound, during simulated in vitro digestion. The emulsions prepared with [...] Read more.

The objective in this work was the evaluation of the stability and content of bioactive compounds (total phenols and total flavonoids) and antioxidant activity of emulsions of ethanolic extracts of propolis obtained by ultrasound, during simulated in vitro digestion. The emulsions prepared with propolis extracts were evaluated on certain properties: their emulsion efficiency, stability (zeta potential, particle size, electrical conductivity), content of bioactive compound (total phenolics and total flavonoids), antioxidant activity and their behavior during simulated in vitro digestion. Based on the total phenol content, an emulsification efficiency of 87.8 ± 1.9% to 97.8 ± 3.8% was obtained. The particle size of the emulsions was 322.5 ± 15.33 nm to 463.9 ± 33.65 nm, with a zeta potential of −31.5 ± 0.66 mV to −28.2 ± 1.0 mV and electrical conductivity of 22.7 ± 1.96 µS/cm to 30.6 ± 0.91 µS/cm. These results indicate good emulsion stability. During simulated in vitro digestion, the content of bioactive compounds (total phenolics, total flavonoids) and antioxidant activity were affected during 77 days of storage at 4 °C. It was concluded that the emulsion process fulfills the function of protecting the bioactive compounds and therefore their biological activity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Honey and Bee Products: Characterization, Bioactivities and Authenticity)

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